Expansion joint



May s, 1934.

E. E. HALL ET AL EXPANS ION JOINT Filed Aug. 12, 1932' Patented May 8, 1934 UNITED STATES Y EXPANSION JOINT Eric E. Hall and William H. Eichelman, Chicago, lll., assignors of three-fourths to said Eichelman and one-fourth to James E. Whealan,

Chicago, lll.

Application August 12,

7 Claims.

Our present vinvention relates to improvements in expansion joints for monolithic concrete construction, precast slabs and the like. It is appreciated and generally recognized that in monolithic construction either in walls, floors, or pavements, there is an appreciable movement of slabs, known as expansion and contraction due to the change in the elements; wthat is, alternate heat and cold, which is especially applicable to tanks or vats constructed of concrete adapted to be liquid or water tight.

It is an object of this invention to provide an expansion joint that will effectively join the slabs and allow of an independent linear movement, due to expansion or contraction. and at the same timeseal the joining of these slabs watertight. Another object of this invention is to provide an expansion joint which will further serve as a screed, easily to be installed and accurately 1ocated relative to the depth or thickness of slab.

It will moreoverbe seen that with our construction, such renement as the securing of ad jacent monolithic structures or slabs, the anchor-A ing of the same together, allowing for movement, -and the making of the'joint watertight may be secured with little, if any, additional expense.

We attain the foregoing objects by means of the structure illustrated in the attached drawingz- Fig. 1 is an isometric view of a section of the expansion joint shown affixed to the grade stake.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the expansionjoint unit itself shown 'in the compact form and in the manner in which it is shipped to the job ready for assembly, and

Fig. 3 is a similar transverse section through the joint installed, connecting two (2) monolithic slabs.

Similar reference characters referto similar parts throughout the respective views.

It will be recognized that this joint is readily applicable to precast or monolithicwalls, but for purposes of description only, we prefer to describe the joint in combination with. iloor slabs, or road construction.

V Our expansion joint' can advantageously be made from sheet copper, comprising a'hairpin fold with inclined sides 5 and 6, terminating in laterally extending webs 7 and 8. The top of the hairpin fold preferably is beaded, forminga ridge 9 at the top. The webs 7 vand 8 at intervals along their outer edge are provided with lugs 10, of -the same metal as the webs themselv which lugs are turned back against the webs 7 and 8 and are adapted to receive and lock in place strips of `fabric or metal lath 1l, as

clearly indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.-

Supporting -the copper member of the expansion joint just described, and secured thereto, preferably by means of brazing or soldering, are two (2) inclined wall structures or supports 12 and 13, the bottom edges of which are ilared outwardly at 14 and 15 to act at feet or supports. Tying together and connecting these bottom feet 14 and 15A is a flat transverse strip 16, which is 65 anged over the outer edges at 41'7 and 18 to lock and form a seam definitely positioning the feet and the support. In bending this metal back, a space or opening is left between the outer edge of feet 14 and 15 and the inner edge of the fold 70 17 and 18, which will allow of a substantial trans verse movement of the members 12 and 13.

In assembling the expansion joint for shipment to the job, wood moulding in two (2) pieces, asv

indicated in Fig. 2 reference characters 17 and 75 18", is fitted to the contour of the hairpin fold and ridge so that the top of the wooden moulding has a denite relationship to the top of the expansion joint itself. 'Ihe lateral arms or webs '7 and 8 are bent upwardly and adjacent to thisr wooden moulding and the metal lath is further carried up and around the moulding as clearly indicated. This facilitates shipment to the job Aand the handling in the field. The wooden members 17* and 18a further serve the purpose of 86 definitely locating tlie expansion joint in the slabs and when installed serves as a screed, as hereinafter described.

'I'he installation andoperation of the expansion joint above described is as followsz I Grade stakes indicatedat 20, are positioned at intervals in lines and at points where the expansion joint is to be laid. These grade stakes are set at an exact pre-determined elevation relative to the concrete slabs themselves. The expansion .joint then is set in strips connecting the grade stakes and is nailed or screwed to them as indicated at 21. The wooden moulding is left in place. The webs 7 and 8 are bent down to extend outwardly in their transverse'position, as is also the metal lath. The grading 22* of the ground is brought up to the top ofthe grade stakes. The concrete is poured in slabs 24I and 25 on both sides of the expansion joint, either at separate intervals or both sides may be poured at the same time. y The top of the wooden moulding will thenact as a screed against which the Workman finishes his concrete surface. When the concrete `has set up, the Wooden moulding .being in two pieces, is easily removed; thus, leaving an opening between the with this invention.

slabs of concrete, which opening is to be cleaned out thoroughly and then filled, preferably with a bitumastic or -a hot pitch or asphalt preparation 23. This makes a watertight construction, as the hot pitch or tar will adhere to the concrete and also to the oo pper and prevent water from seeping through the joint. 'I'he ridge or head 9 will then hold this filling down in place after it has hardened, as the head forms a definite shoulder against sectional displacement. At the same time, when the respective slabs either expand or contract, the hairpin and substructure will move either inwardly or outwardly without effecting the destruction of the joint, as the metal lath being cast integral with the slabs and affixed to the web of the expansion joint permanently and definitely anchors the expansion joint in place. y

We -have made mention above that the hairpin fold of the joint should preferably be of copper. At this point it is well to note that the sub-structure or support of the hairpin fold itself may be constructed of iron, as this structure tends only to support the hairpin fold during pouring, and after the concrete has taken its final set, the bottom support has served its purpose as a form and support, and should it become corroded and be wasted away, it will not affect the finished joint. The same applies to the wooden grade stakes.

It is well to mention at this point also that whereas we have shown and specified throughout a metal fabric being secured to the lugs 10, it is our desire to make mention of the fact that webs 7 and 8 may themselves be extended further than as shown in the drawing and either be corrugated or perforated so that a concrete bond may be made .through the openings and still comply Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the kind described, the com-i bination of a. member comprised of a piece of material bent 'upon itself to provide spaced .walls movable relatively to each other in said space from said bend, each of said walls having an outwardly extending flange at the lower termination of said walls providing means for forming a bond .between said flanges and material in which said flanges are'adapted to be imbedded, a member providing a screed, said screed having a groove-for the reception of said walls, a support for said first mentioned member, said support having a base and means extending from said base into cooperation relative with said walls to hold said walls in spaced relation to each other.

2. In a 'device of the kind described, the combination ofla member comprised of a piece of resilient materialA bent upon itself to provide spaced walls extending downwardly from' said bend movable relatively to each other in said space from said bend, each of said walls having an outwardly extending element arranged at the lower termination of said walls providing means forming a bond betweensaid memberand material in which said elements are adapted to be imbedded, a support for said member, said support having a base and walls extending from said base into engagement with saidzwalls of 'said member and providing. means assisting tov prevent movement of said walls of said member toward each other.

3. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a member formed of a piece of resilient material bent upon itself to provide spaced walls movable relatively tol eachother at the bend, the materialforming said walls being bent to provide an outwardly projecting extension at the lower edge of each of said walls, a support for said Amember, said support having spaced walls, the upper terminations-of -said walls being located within the space provided between said spaced walls of said member and providing means assisting to hold said walls 'of said member in spacedrelation to each other.

4. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a member formed of apiece of resilient materialbent upon itself to provide spaced walls movable relatively to eachother at the bend, said material being formed to provide -a bead at said bend, the material forming said walls being bent to provide an outwardly projecting extension at the lower edge of each of said walls, a supportlfor said member, said support having spaced walls, the upper terminations of said walls beinglocated within thespace provided betweenv said spaced walls of said member and providing means assisting to hold said walls of said member in spaced relation-to each other.

5. In a device of the kind described, the combination of a member formed of a piece of resilient material bent upon itself to provide spaced walls movable relatively to each other at the bend, the material forming said walls being bent to-provide an outwardly projecting extension at the lower edge of each of saidwalls, said extensions having means whereby a fabric may be attached thereto, a support for said member, said support having spaced walls, the upper terminations of said walls being located withinthe space provided between said spaced lwalls of said member and providing Imeans assisting to hold said walls of said member in spaced relation to each other.

6. In combination, a pair of abutting concrete sections forming part of a concrete road or the like, and an expansion joint interposed between said sections comprising a closure for connecting the abutting sections, said joint consisting of a exible seal interposed between the abutting ends of the concrete sections, integral anchors projecting transversely therefrom and into the abutting ends of the concrete sections, a yielding filler interposed between said concrete sections and seal, and over and above said seal, and a sub-4 structure supporting the joint so formed prior to the pouring of the concrete sections, said substructure comprising a stool formed with spaced side walls, anda base for said side walls, said side walls being temporarily joined to said flexible seal prior to the pouring of the concrete sections.

'7. In combination, a pair-of abutting concrete sections forming -part of a concrete road or the like, and an expansion joint interposed between said sections comprising a closure for connecting the abutting sections, said joint consisting of a flexible seal interposed between the abutting ends o f the concrete sections, said seal having integral anchors engaging the abutting ends of the concrete sections, a yielding filler interposed between said concrete sections and said seal, and means for supporting the joint so formed prior tothe 145 pouring of the concretesections, said means comprising a stool formed with spaced walls temporarily joined to the base of said flexible seal prior to the pouring of the concrete sections.

. ERIC E. HALL.

WILLIAM H. EICHELMAN. 

